An Inch From My Pulse
by Blondie B. Happy
Summary: "You're smiling," he told her triumphantly. "You're happy. You can't smile if you're thinking a bad thought, did you know that? That's why smiling means that you're happy. I think you're a lot prettier with a smile on your face, really." She arched a brow. "You think I'm pretty?" AU/AH


**Some Percabeth romance with more friendship than makeouts. AU, Typos, OOCness. I hope you enjoy.**

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"Percy, don't you understand what 'leave me alone' means?" Annabeth demanded.

She stomped her feet and stared at the ground like she wanted to murder the pavement. She had a mile to walk to her house from the bus stop, and Percy wasn't going to leave her alone.

"No, I don't," Percy said with a great sigh. She turned to look at him. He looked amazing in his dark jeans and light blue jacket, but that smirk on his face set her on edge. "You know English isn't my best language!"

"English is your only language," Annabeth said with a roll of her eyes. "I don't feel like talking to you right now, okay? I'll text you later. Just please quit talking to me right now."

Percy didn't respond for a while and Annabeth didn't turn around to look at him. She just continued ahead. Her mind was trained on homework and the crazy test that she'd had that day. She had totally failed it, despite her constant studying. Annabeth wasn't in the mood for his humor today.

Then Percy started off again. "Is it like. . . your time of the month, or—"

"WHAT?" she nearly screamed, whirling on him. She was getting ready to lose it. "You are SO immature."

"But am I right—"

"Perseus Jackson, if you don't leave me alone right now, I'll scream bloody freaking murder."

"What's up your butt today?" Percy demanded, running up to her side, ignoring her attempts to sway him off. "Did I do something wrong? I'm supposed to be your best friend, and best friends help friends in times of trouble. So no, Annabeth, I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me what's going on."

They walked for about a hundred feet, side by side, before Annabeth just told him. "That test that I had today in Physics was a disaster. I skipped about half of them and guessed on all of the others. I'm so going to fail the class and Latin wasn't any better. I'm so dead, I'm never going to get a scholarship—"

"Wait," Percy stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "You're pissed off about a test?"

"Well, yes," Annabeth whispered, a frown across her face. What didn't he understand? She felt as though she'd been very obvious.

"Annabeth, it's our decision as to whether or not we let all of the terrible things get us and the people around us down." Percy opened up his arms. "Come on, Annabeth, you look like you need a hug."

"I don't do hugs," she answered, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear and shouldering her bag again.

"Give me a hug, Wise Girl."

"Leave me alone, Seaweed Brain."

He shook his arms, emphasizing his need for a hug. "Annabeth, I want to give you a hug. Don't deprive me of that too."

They stared at each other for a minute. Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. "Fine."

Percy stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, and Annabeth realized how long it had been since they'd actually hugged one another. Definitely over a year. Two? Probably. She was surprised, though, by the healing power of a hug. She hadn't expected hugging her best friend to feel so. . . right. And it suppressed the terrible day of work she'd had.

And then Percy yanked her into the bushes.

"PERCY!" she squealed as she tripped, and he fell down on top of her. They were now at the edge of the thick woods, completely concealed by foliage. "What the hell was that about?"

Her back hurt because of the branches beneath it, and her bag was somewhere that she couldn't see. Percy planted a hand on either side of her head, and the smile he gave her made her mind go straight to the gutter. He was legit straddling her, like some crazy sex scene from a movie.

But then his hands slid to her neck, and Percy started _tickling_ her.

"Oh—Jeez, Percy. . . STOP! What the fu—stop, huh. . . WHAT!" She squirmed beneath him and feebly tried to push him off to no avail. His hands attacked her sides and neck area, and he wouldn't stop. She was out of breath right away and she just couldn't even believe that he was actually doing this to her.

It was like they were five again.

"Hm," Percy murmured thoughtfully. "Where was that spot? Was it here?" He tickled her waist. "Nope, that's not it. How about. . ." He tried her elbow. "Nope. Oh wait, I know! How could I forget?"

Percy's hands graced up her sides and she jerked underneath his touch. His hands went back to her neck, about an inch from her pulse. Oh shit. Shit. Shit. She cried out and bucked off of the ground, and her face started aching for some reason, and she had no idea why. Her eyes were closed and Percy's weight pressed into her. He was relentless.

Finally, he stopped. "There! That's what I was going for."

Annabeth opened up her eyes. "What?"

"You're smiling," he told her triumphantly. "You're happy. You can't smile if you're thinking a bad thought, did you know that? That's why smiling means that you're happy. I think you're a lot prettier with a smile on your face, really."

She arched a brow. "You think I'm pretty?"

Out of nowhere, Percy gave her another hug and a kiss on the top of her head. She froze with the gesture, and he pulled her to her feet. He gave her a backpack to carry, the one that had been discarded. "I think you're gorgeous, Annabeth," he admitted nonchalantly. "Now, come on, let's get you home, but if you get stuck on your stupid test again I'll be forced to tickle you even more. And now I remember where the spot is."

"An inch from my pulse," she muttered.

"Exactly." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "So now that I know _all_ of your secrets, we can get along with ease."

"I don't think that will ever happen," Annabeth told him. He gave her a squeeze, and she realized that her smile hadn't left.

"No, but it is worth a try."


End file.
